The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-06-30
The Earth and the Moon.

A correspondent of the St. Louis
Gto6e-Dem0crdt writes: In a recent
issue of your paper | noticed a spe-
cia telegram from Vienna, headed,
Planetary Predictions, which speaks
OF Herr Falb having just published a
work on planetary revolutions, the
same putting forth the theory that our
moon will ultimately drop into this
earth and this earth into our sun, and
50 on, of course, through the entire
solar systems.
The idea presented by Herr Falb is
not new one, as Argo, the French
astronomer, advocated and put forth
the theory of the spiral motions of the
heavenly bodies. 1t is an acknowl-
edged fact that if the force of gravity
extends across the inconeeiyable
spaces that separate the several stel-
lar systems of the universe, those sys-
TENS must rush together, unless they
are held apart by revolutions around
each other Hence the question aris-
es: What is the cause of this earth's
revolution in a circuitous route round
the sun? 1t is a well-known fact that
the sun, which is the center of eur
solar system, exercises its influence
over this earth, and would. were there
no other power in existence to coun-
teract and overcome its attractions,
draw the earth to it; but from the
fact of this earth revolving on its own
axis it becomes possessed of a power
to propel itself forward through
space, and would, if no other power
attracted it, 90 in straight line.
Here, then, we have two powers ex-
isting-the centripetal and the centri-
fugal forces-resulting in the earth's
travel round the sun, which, there
fore, is an effect produced by two diff
erent and distinct causes. This is ac-
knowledged by all astronomers.
Newton, the English astronomer, held
to the theory that the revolutionary
motions of the heavenly bodies would
90 on forever; but Argo put forth the
theory that all the heavenly bodies
would ultimately fall into one another,
leaving but one great mass of matter
in space. This brought out the ques-
ton: Is light an emanation or a yibra-
ton through space? If an emana-
ton, Newton is right; if a vibration,
Argo is right. In the latter case it
was argued that there was a subtle
fluid pervading through all space, and
that for the heavenly bodies to pass
through this fluid must necessarily
have their progress retarded, however
slightly, which would gradually lessen
then distance from each other and Ill
timately bring them together, the
smallest falling first, and SO on, taking
in tie whole of the various systems.
This has been shown, however, to be
a fanacy. Light travels in straight
rays through space, and does not Vi
brate until it reaches our atmosphere.
To demonstrate this we have only to
notice the difference between light and
darknesS-day and highland the
cause thereof, with the intermediate
twilight, which is very apparent to the
thinking and observant student. When
the sun goes down, as it is called, we
h. twilight, which is the result of the
suns rays vibrating through the at
mosphere, and as the sun goes further
down, SO the twilight lessons until we
have darkness, from the fact that the
angle of our vision strikes above the
angle Of the suns rays, or rather that
paw VI INC hoolllltlc Ill OuSn WHICH,
the suns rays are vibrating, and SO
we lose all light from the sun.
Now, it is evident that if space is
filled by subtle fluid, the suns rays
would vibrate through that fluid, as it
does through our atmosphere, and we
should never have entire darkness, but
something of twilight always exist
ing. Therefore it is conceded that, as
we have no twilight after the sun sinks
beyond certain angle, space must be
void, and tends to uphold Newton's
theory and that of the bible--that
space is void.